I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a high speed/high pressure water jet.
II. Description of Related
There are many previously known water jets that are used for a variety of purposes. These water jets produce water pressure in the form a high speed and high pressure jet which is used in many applications, such as cleaning applications, as well as cutting applications.
In order to form the high pressure water jet, these previously known devices have traditionally used a high pressure pump which, in turn, requires a powerful engine in order to power the pump. Such high pressure pumps oftentimes require engines having a power of 150 horsepower, or even more.
Since these previously known water jets have required massive high pressure pumps as well as powerful engines to drive the pumps, these water jets are expensive not only to manufacture and acquire, but also to operate.
In view of the shortcomings of high speed/high pressure water jets, low pressure water jets are frequently used in applications such as cleaning industrial parts, such as engine blocks, crankshafts and the like. However, these previously known low speed/low pressure water jets are unable to achieve the complete removal of metal shavings from some industrial parts, such as engine blocks.
The present invention provides a water jet which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices and is particularly useful for the washing or removal of metal shavings from industrial parts, such as engine blocks.
In brief, the water jet of the present invention comprises a tank forming a reservoir which is filled with a liquid, such as water. An elongated conduit has one end fluidly connected to the reservoir and a nozzle connected to the other end of the conduit. This nozzle, furthermore, has a cross-sectional opening smaller than the cross-sectional opening of the conduit and preferably less than one one-hundredth the cross-sectional area of the conduit.
A valve is connected in series between the reservoir and the conduit, and this valve is movable between an open and a closed position. The reservoir, furthermore, is pressurized by air pressure in the range of 30-300 psi. Consequently, as the valve is moved to its open position, the air pressure from the reservoir pumps water from the reservoir down through the conduit and towards the nozzle. As this water flow reaches the nozzle, the reduced area opening of the nozzle translates the water flow through the conduit into a high speed water jet. This water jet, in turn, can be used for many applications, such as cleaning industrial parts.
In order to preclude or at least minimize the turbulence of the water flow through the conduit upon opening of the valve, an air bleed circuit is preferably connected to the conduit adjacent or at the nozzle. This air bleed circuit bleeds air from the conduit during the flow of water through the conduit and towards the nozzle and minimizes turbulence of the water flow through the conduit that might otherwise be caused by air entrapped within the conduit. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the air bleed circuit includes a vacuum pump to actively evacuate air from the conduit.